Devon love rats exposed on cheat map

Devon love rats exposed on cheat map

Devon was today outed as the most unfaithful county after a survey of married people exposed love rats by region.

Around 44 per cent of married people in the south-west county are currently “playing away”, according to new research.

The survey of extra-marital affairs - which quizzed more than 4,000 people - claims to be the UK’s largest study of sex and marriage.

The research - which was taken across England - also revealed that 4 per cent of Devon spouses had cheated on their current partner on an earlier occasion.

Extra-marital dating site IllicitEncounters.com, which commissioned the research, said Devon adulterers may simply have been more honest than others.

But they also said traditional values of rural areas like Devon - including early marriage - may also lead people to feel “trapped” in their relationships.

Monogamists should head to Surrey, which was found to be the UK’s “most saintly” county. Less than 1 per cent admitted to being currently involved in adultery, and only 2 per cent confessed to cheating on their partner in the past.

Nationwide 3 per cent admitted to currently cheating and 7 per cent said they had cheated on their current wife or husband on an earlier occasion.

And about 5 per cent said they would cheat “if they thought they could get away with it”.

The dating site's spokeswoman, Sara Hartley, said: “In our opinion, Devon have just been much more honest in their answers. It has previously been estimated that around 40 per cent of women and 60 per cent of men will cheat during marriage, so these figures seem incredibly low.

“Traditional values seem to have a strong hold in rural towns and villages, therefore many feel a strong pressure to marry.

“As a result, we see a lot of members from places like Devon, who married young and now feel trapped in their relationships.

“The Western Isles, which is widely considered to be one of the most religious places in the UK, has a higher percentage of IllicitEncounters.com members than most other counties.”

Illicit Encounters says it has just over 5,000 members in Devon, and more than 450,000 across the UK.

The aim of the site is to create a “safe and non-judgmental environment, where married men and women can meet each other”.

Its typical member is a professional, often working in management or as an executive, between the ages of 36 and 40.

TOP TEN CHEATING COUNTIES 10 The percentage of people who admitted to cheating on their spouse at some point is shown in brackets